I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 54: Beloved Student

“We’re doomed! Why was this monthly exam so hard? Who was the psycho that made the last two math questions? I didn’t even write a single answer!”

Zheng Fa sat quietly with his book, listening to Wang Chen’s wails from the desk behind him.

The atmosphere in the classroom was heavy after the exam. Many students had gloomy expressions, convinced they had done poorly.

“How do you think you did?” Wang Chen nudged Zheng Fa’s arm.

“Not sure. I didn’t check my answers.”

It was a habit of Zheng Fa’s not to review his answers post-exam.

Still, he felt he had done reasonably well. The questions were difficult, but he believed he had performed better than before. For one, the math test that left Wang Chen in agony felt manageable thanks to the tutoring he’d received from Old Bai and Tang Lingwu. He even had time to check his answers twice.

Secondly, after mastering the Linghe Body, his memory and reflexes had noticeably improved, which probably benefited him in other subjects too.

Wang Chen, accustomed to this habit of his, nodded knowingly before suddenly saying, “You’re in trouble this time. Old Chen’s definitely going to come after you.”

“Why me?”

“The fact that he’s lasted three days is already a record.”

“A record?”

“Anyone who gets too close to Tang Lingwu usually gets a talking-to within two days. If it weren’t for the monthly exam, he’d have already called you to his office.”

Wang Chen said this with the confidence of someone with intimate knowledge of such matters.

Zheng Fa shook his head. He and Tang Lingwu only interacted at school and hadn’t tried to hide it from anyone.

As for the physical contact Old Chen had witnessed… Zheng Fa genuinely had no ulterior motives.

The question of whether the Linghe Body could be cultivated in the modern world was crucial to him. It tied directly to the value of the knowledge he had acquired in the Xuanyi Realm.

From his experiments with Tang Lingwu, he had found that his energy could help her practice a portion of the Linghe Body. Due to the lack of spiritual energy in the modern world, Tang Lingwu couldn’t sense the external mysterious forces necessary for the full technique. However, her body still underwent some of the changes associated with the practice.

That said, his energy was far too weak to replace the natural cultivation environment of the Xuanyi Realm. With his assistance, her progress was excruciatingly slow—what she could achieve in dozens or hundreds of attempts would take him only a single session in the Xuanyi Realm.

Still, the fact that it worked at all was significant. It was a unique edge for him in this world.

Modern society wasn’t a place where mastering a bit of the Linghe Body would grant him free rein. Instead, leveraging Xuanyi Realm knowledge to attract people like Old Bai and learn from them was how he maximized the advantage of being able to traverse both worlds.

“If Old Chen comes for you, just apologize and promise not to pursue Tang Lingwu romantically again,” Wang Chen suggested.

“I’m not pursuing Tang Lingwu romantically,” Zheng Fa clarified.

“Don’t give me that! Even as your friend, I can’t believe how shameless you are. You’ve already made moves, and now you don’t want to take responsibility?” Wang Chen’s gaze was filled with disdain. “Especially since Old Chen saw it all!”

Romance with Tang Lingwu? Zheng Fa wasn’t even entertaining the thought.

As for Tang Lingwu, if her gaze toward him could be called love-struck, then her expression when looking at milk tea would have to be described as eternal devotion.

In her eyes, he was probably Zheng: Milk Tea Refill Station, Beauty Consultant, Occasionally Helpful Dimwit Fa.

With his conscience clear, Zheng Fa wasn’t worried about any misunderstandings.

Wang Chen misinterpreted his calm demeanor as indifference. “You think Old Chen isn’t coming after you out of tolerance? I bet he’s just waiting for the exam results. If you slip up even a little, he’ll settle both old and new scores at once. The longer he waits, the worse it’s going to be!”

...

The day after the joint exam, rumors about the results began circulating in the class.

“Did you hear? Tang Lingwu’s probably first in the class again,” Wang Chen said, sharing the gossip with Zheng Fa.

“She’s always first,” Zheng Fa replied, unfazed.

“You don’t get it. If she’s first again, she’s not just the class star—she’s Old Chen’s darling student! Do you think Old Chen will let you off after you’ve ‘tainted’ his prized treasure? He’ll chew you out!”

Zheng Fa glanced at Wang Chen, frowning slightly. “I feel like you’re oddly eager to see me get scolded.”

“I’m just looking out for you as a brother,” Wang Chen said earnestly.

“Hmm?”

“I only want you to get scolded,” Wang Chen gritted through his teeth. “Other guys want you dead.”

As they chatted, the sound of multiple footsteps echoed from the hallway, accompanied by Old Chen’s voice.

Wang Chen quickly returned to his seat, grabbing a book to feign diligence.

Sure enough, Old Chen entered with a few middle-aged men trailing behind him.

The man in the center looked familiar—he often sat at the center of the stage during school assemblies.

All of them looked pleased.

“Which one of you is Tang Lingwu, this term’s top scorer?” the principal asked.

“Tang Lingwu!” Old Chen called out. She stepped out of the classroom and was pulled to his side. “Principal, this is Tang Lingwu.”

The principal appeared slightly surprised by her striking appearance and took a closer look. “I’d heard there was a brilliant student in your class who’s also quite beautiful. I didn’t expect her to be this stunning.”

Tang Lingwu, long accustomed to being Old Chen’s prized example, wore a modest yet fitting look of shyness, seemingly at ease with the attention.

The principal nodded approvingly. “You scored first not just in our grade but among all the senior students across the participating schools! You’ve brought great honor to Qingshui High School!”

The students listening quickly understood why the group had come to see Tang Lingwu.

Being first in the grade was one thing. Crushing their rival schools was the real victory!

After a round of lavish praise, the principal suddenly remembered something. “I noticed another name in the top ten—Zheng Fa. Is he in this class too?”

Old Chen gestured for Zheng Fa to come forward. As he approached, Old Chen greeted him with an unusually kind smile.

“This is Zheng Fa.”

The principal studied him with mild curiosity. “I don’t recall seeing this name in the top ten before?”

“Correct. He didn’t perform well when he first enrolled, but he’s worked hard and shown consistent improvement,” Old Chen said, offering praise.

“Oh?” The principal seemed intrigued. “Such significant progress must mean he’s found effective study methods. Zheng Fa, how do you usually study?”

Zheng Fa glanced at Tang Lingwu. Beads of sweat appeared on Old Chen’s bald head. “Ah, well… Principal, he often studies collaboratively with Tang Lingwu. They help each other improve.”

“Learning from top-performing classmates? That’s an excellent approach! In fact, this might be a great example for other students. How about having Zheng Fa share his methods at Monday’s assembly?”

“Um… that might not… His methods are rather unique and might be difficult for others to replicate,” Old Chen stammered awkwardly.

The principal looked slightly disappointed but didn’t press further. “Regardless, encourage them to keep supporting each other and continue making progress!”

Old Chen’s smile turned into a grimace, as if he were in physical pain. He clearly wasn’t thrilled about fostering their partnership.

Back in the classroom, Wang Chen stared blankly, then muttered to his deskmate, “Why do I feel like Zheng Fa just became one of Old Chen’s beloved students?”

“You don’t have to feel it. Just look at Old Chen—how sweetly he’s smiling!”

“No scolding?”

“Scolding? He’s busy showering him with praise. It’s nauseating!”

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